Darwin Núñez, Liverpool’s forward, will have to serve a five-match suspension with the Uruguayan national team. The decision was ratified on Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after rejecting the appeal of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF).
The sanction originated after a violent incident in the 2024 Copa América semi-final against Colombia.
This resolution implies that Núñez and four other teammates will miss the next three CONMEBOL qualifying matches. These matches are against Paraguay and Venezuela in June, and the next one against Peru in September.
The forward could rejoin the Uruguayan team on September 13, in the match against Chile in Santiago, corresponding to the last day of the qualifiers.
Rodrigo Bentancur, midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, will also have to serve a four-match suspension. José María Giménez, Mathías Olivera and Ronald Araújo, for their part, were sanctioned with a three-match suspension each.
The CAS dismissed the appeals filed by the players and the AUF, which sought to annul the sanctions imposed by CONMEBOL due to the violence against the fans during the semi-final of the 2024 Copa América.
The players and the federation argued the principle of “self-defense” to justify their behavior, but the CAS ruled in favor of CONMEBOL.
Following Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, last summer, the players involved in the appeal entered the stands and participated in violent acts against rival supporters. Although Giménez stated that the players intervened to defend their family members, CONMEBOL initiated an independent investigation and declared the participants guilty.
The Panel considered that in this case, the principle of self-defense is not applicable and that the Players’ conduct constituted a voluntary, violent, and unjustified action, which violated the CONMEBOL Disciplinary Code. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed and the Appealed Decision was confirmed in its entirety, including the sanctions against the Players and the AUF.
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
Bentancur was also fined $16,000, while the Uruguayan Federation received a fine of $20,000.
